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We analyze the evolution of science-industry intermediaries in the West from the Renaissance period to World War II. Using a neo-Schumpeterian evolutionary framework, the research highlights how intermediaries emerged and evolved to address three main categories of obstacles in science-industry relations: transaction costs (or Williamson-type barriers), cultural differences (or Merton-type barriers), and tacit knowledge transfer (or Polanyi-type barriers). The study reveals that early intermediaries (before the first Industrial Revolution) focused primarily on reducing transaction costs, while later periods (the first and second industrial age) saw them take on broader responsibilities, such as facilitating knowledge transfer and addressing cultural divides, as science and industry became more institutionalized and separated. By analyzing various forms of intermediation, including patrons, exhibitions, academic and industrial societies, patent agents, etc., this work provides insights into the changing nature of science-industry relations and the complex and adaptive role of intermediaries.